Japan faces nuclear shutdown for second time since Fukushima

How about passing the bill to all the Tokyo Electric managers, and to all the parasites like Ozawa Ichiro who have made so much money for making all of these nuclear power plants??

an onerous energy bill that helped push the country into a record trade deficit in 2012.

The key word here folks is "helped". If you looked closely at the books I think you might find that an even bigger reason for why Japan was pushed into a record trade deficity is all the unnecessary spending that continues to go on, especially into construction. We don't need any more paved concrete around rivers thanks. Cut down on unnecessary expenses including whaling and put into reconstruction and constructing geothermal or alternative energy.

Hold on, am I reading this right? Gas imports rose by 11.2% and crude oil by 2%. Is this article missing something vital, or is this the sum total impact of shutting down all those nuclear reactors? If so then let's keep them shut down!

... as for the rest of the article, it's just a transparent attempt to justify more price increases by TEPCO and their ilk. Since my tax yen funded their avoidance of bankrupcy I think that TEPCO and big Energy in Japan should be running at 0% profit for the next two decades to pay back that money to the taxpayers. No more price increases.

If they had strengthened and followed strict guidelines BEFORE the nuclear meltdown people wouldn't be so up and arms against NPPs. We wouldn't have to import so much fuel.

This is the result of a reactionary government not a proactive one. It's the government's own doing.

Good calls, commentators. And, this article had absolutely zero mention of the other half of importing energy sources: reducing energy consumption. Back to darker streets (very nice), shut down pachinko towers of power, etc. You know the drill, so let's do it, Japan!

THe government is just setting the groundwork here for letting people know that the worst is yet to come. And with the weaker yen the cost to import more fossil fuels is going to skyrocket and shoot another hole in Abenomics.

I think you might find that an even bigger reason for why Japan was pushed into a record trade deficity is all the unnecessary spending that continues to go on, especially into construction. We don't need any more paved concrete around rivers thanks.

Local spending really doesnt affect the trade deficit. Look at the past when Japan's reactors were all up and running AND with all the public works projects that were in high gear. There was a trade surplus.

So basically Japan has been off or near off nuclear power and will do so again this year. This should be celebrated!

Now, start into renewables, and try to get that going. Everyday that something is done is less need for nuclear. This however interferes with the old oyaji network so it won't happen, hence the scare tactic news.

Why put up with it?

I wonder which "Pro-Nuke" took Elbuda-san down ? I think he has an excellent idea !

pass the bill to consumers especially those with the highest antinuclear sentiments

I totally agree. And the pro-nuke supporters should be the ones to pay the trillion-dollar cost of the Fukushima cleanup and other measures associated with the destruction of what was once one of the nation's most productive farming and fishing regions.

I know who whose bill would be the heftiest....by a long shot.

As the nuclear powered electric companies have proven themselves unreliable and have foisted on the Japanese people one of the worst nuclear "accidents" yet, do you really want to leave it in their clumsy and incapable hands a second time around. How many more of these accidents, based in industrial and government corruption do you want to go through? How many more homeless Japanese can the crippled economy afford to maintain? Also remember how expensive cancer treatment is? When do you make corrupt business men pay for it all instead of the taxpayers. As long as the walk away with their gold parachutes, why should they change the way that they do business.

"That could force Japan to import even more fossil fuels for power generation, adding to an onerous energy bill that helped push the country into a record trade deficit in 2012."

The bill will become more onerous as Abe forces down the value of the yen.

"The previous Democratic Party of Japan government’s decision last June to restart two reactors weeks after the last full shutdown galvanized the country’s previously dormant anti-nuclear movement, sparking the biggest demonstrations in decades and contributing to its downfall in elections in December."

And the Japanese people vote in the LDP, who immediately decide to go back to their old pro-nuclear policies and reopen plants.

I can't understand why this has to be done in summer when the whole country will be suffering. Do it in spring!

the problem now is that the LDP is tied to big business in Japan & because nuclear is a cheaper alternative than imported fossil fuels (especially as prices are set to rise with the global economy starting to turn around) they will definitely be in favor of restarting the reactors. Sad really, as this is (was?) a great opportunity for Japan to innovate & focus on creating enviro-friendly fuel sources & technology that they could then export & profit from in the future without destroying the planet.

But we all want prices to rise anyway right? Keynesian will be happy.

...adding to an onerous energy bill that helped push the country into a record trade deficit in 2012

Were we not going to pay more in energy costs anyways because Japan built a reprocessing plant the Rokkasho village?

Steve Fetter, a University of Maryland professor, advised against reprocessing and made his case to the Tokyo Government in 2004. Also, he warned about the security concerns of stockpiling so much plutonium, which could be diverted and used to make nuclear weapons.

I mean you go to spend money to protect nuclear energy. I really think Japan has other ideas than using Nuclear power for energy.

time to start oil/gas drilling near the senkakus!

Foxie,

EXACTLY! Common sense just isnt too common in these parts sadly

I can't understand why this has to be done in summer when the whole country will be suffering.

The purpose is to demonstrate to the population that they need nuclear plants, to make them beg Tepco and co to continue.

I can't understand why this has to be done in summer when the whole country will be suffering. Do it in spring!

You DO understand when a reactor goes down for maintenance, it's down for months, right? You never noticed it before because they had other reactors pick up the slack. The reactors run for a set time, then are brought down for inspections and maintenance. The specified number of operating hours will be reached in September, so that's when the reactors will be shut down. You ALSO realize that if they shut down in the Spring, that's just that many more months of shortage because the reactors won't be restarted anytime this year (if ever), right? When the Ooi reactors are brought down, they may as well start packing things up because they probably will never generate another watt of electricity.

Heda I did not mention fossil fuels. Actually reading people's posts leads to improved outcomes

Reading the first two paragraphs again it seems that the title of this article should be something like: "Nuclear shutdown threatens new trade deficit".

Facing a nuclear shutdown is no problem at all for the people. We did it before and apart from being a little more careful not to waste electricity, it made scant difference to anyone's lifestyle. Some increase in electricity bills is to be expected if we are going to be burning more coal, oil and gas. Naturally alternative energy strategies are now in full swing, (or they'd better be) so we can look forward to a gradual switch over to renewables too! Win win. :-)

read my post again. Go ahead, find my endorsement for fossil fuels. I'll wait

It seems that irony doesn't work on here either.

contributing to its downfall in elections in December.

As a result of this the Japanese people voted in the party that was solely responsible for the number of NPP in Japan. For the design and type and who were in power in 2004 during the Indian Ocean Tsunami and made no attempts to review the walls around NPP and if they did then they made no attempt to increase the size of them. No, it was all the fault of the previous government who were in power for a whopping 19 months before the March 11 tsunami.

The previous Democratic Party of Japan government’s decision last June to restart two reactors weeks after the last full shutdown galvanized the country’s previously dormant anti-nuclear movement, sparking the biggest demonstrations in decades and contributing to its downfall in elections in December.

Irony doesn't really translate into Japanese does it?

Love the negative ratings but none of you are prepared to counter it. It's almost as if you can't...

sf2k - do yourself a favour and Google deaths from fossil fuels and then see if you're standpoint changes. Yes, Japan should absolutely be moving towards more green energy. I wholly agree with that.

But to replace nuclear with fossil fuels for health reasons is so ludicrous it's impossible to begin.

So basically Japan has been off or near off nuclear power and will do so again this year. This should be celebrated!

And why has Japan been off nuclear fuel? Because they've switched to fossil fuels.

You're not endorsing fossil fuels. You're celebrating it.

Hold on, am I reading this right? Gas imports rose by 11.2% and crude oil by 2%. Is this article missing something vital, or is this the sum total impact of shutting down all those nuclear reactors? If so then let's keep them shut down!

Is that it? Well apart from the increase of noxious gases in the atmosphere thus increasing the number of Japanese who die because of power you mean?

Also remember how expensive cancer treatment is

That's a very good point and worth remembering that the side effects of burning fossil fuels includes cancer. Thank you for raising the point as it's very valid.

The article states that Japan is increasing it's reliance on fossil fuels to counter the lack of energy from nuclear fuels. You said that this is a good thing

Or am I missing something?

As it stands it's either nuclear or fossil fuels for Japan UNTIL they have an alternative green energy. Which they don't. It seems the 'experts' on this board seem to think that fossil fuels is the way to go.

Scientists foolishly disagree.

@mikihouse totally agree, all those that want Nuclear out , no problems prepared to pay three times as much for your electricily, will also push more manufacturers/job oveseas since it will make what is already an expensive manufacturing base more expensive. Oh but not to worry all the J farmers will easily make up for the lost revenue that the J gov loses. LOL

pass the bill to consumers especially those with the highest antinuclear sentiments